Stepping up to the plate?
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p><span word="Please">Please</span> <span word="explain">explain</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="sentence">sentence</span>: “<span word="He">He</span> <span word="said">said</span>, ‘<span word="It">It</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="step">step</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="plate">plate</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="make">make</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="decision">decision</span>’.”</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="words">words</span>, <span word="what">what</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="next">next</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="you">you</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="decision">decision</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="yours">yours</span>, <span word="plus">plus</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="responsibility">responsibility</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="comes">comes</span> <span word="along">along</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="it">it</span>.</p><p><span word="It">It</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="make">make</span> <span word="something">something</span> <span word="happen">happen</span>. <span word="Time">Time</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="take">take</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="central">central</span> <span word="role">role</span>. <span word="Time">Time</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="spotlight">spotlight</span>, <span word="and">and</span>, <span word="hopefully">hopefully</span>, <span word="to">to</span> <span word="shine">shine</span>.</p><p><span word="Anyways">Anyways</span>, “<span word="step">step</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="plate">plate</span>” <span word="is">is</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="phrase">phrase</span> <span word="troubling">troubling</span> <span word="us">us</span> <span word="here">here</span>.</p><p><span word="This">This</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="useful">useful</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="expression">expression</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="originates">originates</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="great">great</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="sport">sport</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="baseball">baseball</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="plate">plate</span> <span word="refers">refers</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="home">home</span> <span word="plate">plate</span>, <span word="or">or</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="home">home</span> <span word="base">base</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="marked">marked</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="square">square</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="which">which</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="batter">batter</span> <span word="stands">stands</span> <span word="ready">ready</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="hit">hit</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ball">ball</span> <span word="thrown">thrown</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="him">him</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="pitcher">pitcher</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="stands">stands</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="middle">middle</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="playing">playing</span> <span word="area">area</span>.</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="game">game</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="baseball">baseball</span>, <span word="of">of</span> <span word="course">course</span>, <span word="every">every</span> <span word="player">player</span> <span word="gets">gets</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="chance">chance</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="bat">bat</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ball">ball</span> (<span word="so">so</span> <span word="long">long</span>, <span word="of">of</span> <span word="course">course</span>, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="your">your</span> <span word="team">team</span> <span word="continues">continues</span> <span word="coring">coring</span> – <span word="by">by</span>, <span word="after">after</span> <span word="running">running</span> <span word="around">around</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="playing">playing</span> <span word="area">area</span>, <span word="returning">returning</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="touch">touch</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="home">home</span> <span word="plate">plate</span> <span word="before">before</span> <span word="defenders">defenders</span> <span word="bring">bring</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ball">ball</span> <span word="back">back</span>; <span word="if">if</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ball">ball</span> <span word="returns">returns</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="defender">defender</span> <span word="standing">standing</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="home">home</span> <span word="plate">plate</span> <span word="first">first</span>, <span word="you">you</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="out">out</span>). <span word="That">That</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="emerge">emerge</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="seating">seating</span> <span word="area">area</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="walk">walk</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="home">home</span> <span word="plate">plate</span>.</p><p><span word="At">At</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="plate">plate</span> <span word="batting">batting</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ball">ball</span>, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="chance">chance</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="hit">hit</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="home">home</span> <span word="run">run</span> (<span word="by">by</span> <span word="hitting">hitting</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ball">ball</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="hard">hard</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="travels">travels</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="way">way</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="spectator">spectator</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="stands">stands</span>) <span word="and">and</span> <span word="earn">earn</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="point">point</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="yourself">yourself</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="each">each</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="your">your</span> <span word="teammates">teammates</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="already">already</span> <span word="stationed">stationed</span> <span word="themselves">themselves</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="first">first</span>, <span word="second">second</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="third">third</span> <span word="bases">bases</span>. <span word="Or">Or</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="least">least</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="hit">hit</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="safe">safe</span> <span word="ball">ball</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="enable">enable</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="run">run</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="base">base</span> (<span word="or">or</span> <span word="others">others</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="run">run</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="next">next</span>) <span word="before">before</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ball">ball</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="picked">picked</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="defender">defender</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="retuned">retuned</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="bases">bases</span> <span word="first">first</span> – <span word="if">if</span> <span word="it">it</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="returned">returned</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="base">base</span> <span word="before">before</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="do">do</span>, <span word="you">you</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="out">out</span>; <span word="second">second</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="third">third</span> <span word="bases">bases</span> <span word="likewise">likewise</span>.</p>
页:
[1]